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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Thanks for the response, Brent.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Figured as much.  Everyone thinks that their local rules are too hard to or too special to adapt to a unified system.  Of course, Pacer shows that it can be done with some elegance, and it is a pretty well aged system.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I do not have anything good to say in reply, so I won’t.  I do have similar complaints with the various taxing authorities’ systems in the state – they ask for nearly identical information for payroll taxes.  There should be one portal and a master upload that preloads all of the forms for Employment Security, WAFLMA, and L&I.  But, no. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">Mark C. McClure</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">| </span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">Managing Attorney <br></span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">Law Office of Mark McClure, PS<b> <br></b><i>"Why Retire With Debt?"<br></i>1103 West Meeker Street, #101<br>Kent, WA 98032</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">Office:  253.631.6484 (Leave Msg - Will be returned within 24 hours)<br></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#003399">Email: </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:purple"><a href="mailto:Mark@McClureLawGroup.com" title="mailto:Mark@McClureLawGroup.com"><span style="color:purple">Mark@McClureLawGroup.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#003399"><br>Web: <a href="http://www.mcclurelawgroup.com/" title="http://www.mcclurelawgroup.com/">www.McClureLawGroup.com</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Notice of Unavailability:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:red"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:red">TBD</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#c0504d">**NOTE** All visits must be scheduled in advance for access to the building.  Call </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#c0504d">253-631-6484 <b> to schedule.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1c1e21;background:#f2f3f5">This email contains legal stuff. If you are not the intended recipient you could get into a lot of trouble if you read it, and even more trouble if you tell someone else about it. So, the best thing to do is ignore it and forget you ever saw it. Thank you.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Brent Williams-Ruth <<a href="mailto:brent@williams-ruthlaw.com">brent@williams-ruthlaw.com</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 1, 2026 9:47 AM<br><b>To:</b> Mark McClure, J.D. - McClure Law Group <<a href="mailto:mark@mcclurelawgroup.com">mark@mcclurelawgroup.com</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Intestate Probates in King County</span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">If you are wanting more than the following answer, I am happy to share my knowledge from my 5 years on the WSBA Board of Governors. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The short answer is this:  The Federal System is one unified system from the SCOTUS to the District Court Commissioners. I took (in my insurance days) spent 100% of my time using ECF/Pacer, and miss it every day. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Washington does not have a unified court system.  Without a constitutional amendment that strips each county clerk of their authority, we will never have a unified court system.  There has been an effort to create one that has not yet taken root (no money for it). </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">So we have this mish-mash.  Obviously, there is more to the story but asking people to give up their own power has never really gained traction and good luck getting the electorate to understand enough to vote for change. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Brent </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br clear="all"></p></div><div><div><div><div><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Brent Williams-Ruth</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> (pronouns: he/him)<br><i>Attorney-At-Law</i></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, </span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Physical Address: 500 S 336th Street, Suite 214; Federal Way, WA 98003</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">Mailing Address:</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063 </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Office/Scheduling Phone:<span style="color:#004080"> </span><span style="color:red">(253) 285-7751</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">For All Meetings & Scheduling: <a href="mailto:info@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">info@williams-ruthlaw.com</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a> / <a href="http://www.williams-ruthlaw.com/" target="_blank">website</a> /</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bwrlaw" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt">facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> / </span></p></div></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">On Thu, Oct 1, 2026 at 7:00<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span>AM Mark McClure, J.D. - McClure Law Group <<a href="mailto:mark@mcclurelawgroup.com">mark@mcclurelawgroup.com</a>> wrote:</p></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #cccccc 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in"><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Speaking of difficult computer systems, I normally play in ECF/Pacer.  Mostly, I do bankruptcy work. But also, some probates.  I am also a former Boeing Engineer and Systems Administrator.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">ECF/Pacer has all of the systems in the State of Washington that I have tried beat by miles (why isn’t there just one system btw?).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Odyessy just needs to go away.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Lynx is okay.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">King County KSCRIPT is better than Odyssey, but that is all I can really say for it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I actually like King County District Court’s system slightly better than the Superior Courts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">This is the land of Microsoft and Amazon.  Meta.  I know we have a Low Bid contractor-based system here, but really?  It is embarrassing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Btw, I just looked at Asotin County, Odyssey and fax filing… :(  Judge might be great, but the tech is close to flint and stone.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">Mark C. McClure</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">| </span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#4c76a2">Managing Attorney <br></span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">Law Office of Mark McClure, PS<b> <br></b><i>"Why Retire With Debt?"<br></i><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/1103+West+Meeker+Street,+%23101+Kent,+WA+98032+Office:%C2%A0+253?entry=gmail&source=g">1103 West Meeker Street, #101</a><br><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/1103+West+Meeker+Street,+%23101+Kent,+WA+98032+Office:%C2%A0+253?entry=gmail&source=g">Kent, WA 98032</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">Office:  <a href="tel:(253)%20631-6484" target="_blank">253.631.6484</a> (Leave Msg - Will be returned within 24 hours)<br></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#003399">Email: </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:purple"><a href="mailto:Mark@McClureLawGroup.com" target="_blank" title="mailto:Mark@McClureLawGroup.com"><span style="color:purple">Mark@McClureLawGroup.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#003399"><br>Web: <a href="http://www.mcclurelawgroup.com/" target="_blank" title="http://www.mcclurelawgroup.com/">www.McClureLawGroup.com</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Notice of Unavailability:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:red"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:red">TBD</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#c0504d">**NOTE** All visits must be scheduled in advance for access to the building.  Call </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#c0504d"><a href="tel:(253)%20631-6484" target="_blank">253-631-6484</a> <b> to schedule.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#1c1e21;background:#f2f3f5">This email contains legal stuff. If you are not the intended recipient you could get into a lot of trouble if you read it, and even more trouble if you tell someone else about it. So, the best thing to do is ignore it and forget you ever saw it. Thank you.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:navy"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;border-color:currentcolor currentcolor"><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Joshua McKarcher<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 1, 2026 6:32 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>>; <a href="mailto:brent@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">brent@williams-ruthlaw.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Intestate Probates in King County</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Jeannie, I am so sorry to you and these children and their nominated administrator. This is deeply wrong. This email, if possible, should be delivered by personal courier with trumpets playing and at least one serious journalist in attendance (or at least forwarded) to each AG lawyer who insisted on a statute that did NOT permit this exact scenario.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Attached is the document our local judge here in Asotin County circulated, which is what I assume each judge is following. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">If you ever want easy, "correct," but not "ridiculously helicopter parented" probate AND ARE NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING UNETHICAL, I cannot more highly commend Asotin County for venue in probate cases in which any Superior Court has jurisdiction. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">I've thought for years I could make a play at (forgive me the crass reference) Profiting From Probate merely by yelling at you all, or marketing the message: "Stop dealing with difficult courts and computers and filing systems, and come to the corner of the state! Judge Brooke Burns in Asotin County is reasonable and DID PROBATES before taking the bench! She gets it! Our elected clerk is reasonable and has a staff who actually desire to progress cases and WANT TO be told when they do something incorrectly and WANT TO KNOW/LEARN! Imagine!"</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">I expect Brent and those most familiar are going to say you will need to follow the new statute to the letter. These surviving children will need to choose a lawyer or professional fiduciary as PR (shouldn't be awful, but I realize it costs money); and check each box in the new statute, reading it step by step to get relief for these Presumptively Dirty, Tainted, Profit Seeking Children and Their Presumptively Suspicious Nominated Third-Party Fiduciary. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">I'll be emailing this chain to State Senator Mark Schoesler, our local state senator, who in the old days of divided, centrist state government (which gave us things like paid family leave, but leavened with non-small-business-crushing elements), was the senate majority leader (yes, from from little ol' Ritzville and representing my little ol' Asotin County). </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">He will want to know what this ridiculous legislation inflicted upon our state, and he will likely be very disappointed to not have known what snakes were hidden in the weeds when he and his senators voted (I think) nearly unanimously to approve it.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">I'm speaking this morning on Washington EP law at the Idaho Estate Planning conference. I'm intentionally not spending any of my 20 minutes on intestate probate other than to mention very briefly to "Beware if you, unsuspecting Idaho lawyer, encounter one. But let's not fret this morning, because you obviously have to refer it to a Washington lawyer since by definition you as a non-Washington lawyer cannot file a Washington intestate administration matter."</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">What a sad set of facts, Jeannie. I'm sorry to you and these children and whoever stepped up to be their fiduciary at their nomination. Consider APPEALING the denied petition if they have the money and see if our appellate courts by some miracle might deem the statute an excessive restriction that violates due process on their right to administer property that "vested" in them upon their parents' death (and other arguments we could unearth) -- to see if our appellate courts might possibly "blue pen/line/whatever" the statute to permit NOMINATIONS BY TIER-ONE PRIORITY HEIRS as any rational system should permit. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">I'm guessing you're rolling your eyes, but I've thought about it if I encountered the right situation. At some point we lawyers have to fight the fights we might possibly win. There are too many we simply have no reasonable prospect of winning.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Another one that every lawyer of anyone over age 65 should be aware of is FINRA Rule 2165 and its utter and complete violation of due process for account holders whose accounts are frozen in toto at the DISCRETION and OPTION of a financial advisory firm. If you pull it up notice that at Day 30 some GOVERNMENTAL ACTOR must approve the continued freeze . . . but without giving the account holder whose millions of dollars are simply frozen NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD before the approval of the GOVERNMENTAL ACTOR is given. My clients' $4 million account was completely locked for over 90 days this past December to March by a Big National Firm I will restrain myself from naming here, despite the firm's obvious ability to speak to the couple's independent CPA or do any other minimal "investigation" (required by the rule), beyond demanding all manner of personal and private information of the client to satisfy itself (the brokerage firm) as judge, jury and executioner (go read FINRA Rule 2165!) that a requested withdrawal of $425,000 was not for exploitative purposes.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">This is another fight we must fight. Eventually. Not today. American and states' laws are twisting "ahistorically" both from the right and the left.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Our job is to untwist it (from whichever extreme it derives) where we have a reasonable prospect to do so. </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black"> </span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="color:black">Best, Josh </span></p></div><div id="m_6372765608576283998ms-outlook-mobile-body-separator-line"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> </p></div></div><div id="m_6372765608576283998ms-outlook-mobile-signature"><p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="color:black">Joshua McKarcher</span></b></p><p style="margin:0in"><i><span style="color:black">Attorney, Owner</span></i><span style="color:black"><br>McKarcher Law PLLC<br>o: <a href="tel:(509)%20758-3345" target="_blank">(509) 758-3345</a><br></span><span style="color:#469ef5"><a href="mailto:josh@mckarcherlaw.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#469ef5">josh@mckarcherlaw.com</span></a></span></p><p style="margin:0in"><span style="color:#469ef5"><img border="0" width="169" height="77" style="width:1.7604in;height:.802in" id="m_6372765608576283998id-signature-image-5B61E5D3-D6F4-4CBB-9F74-90AE3C17FC19" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DD519E.01096B20" alt="signatureImage"></span></p></div><div id="m_6372765608576283998mail-editor-reference-message-container"><div id="m_6372765608576283998mail-editor-reference-message-container"><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><hr size="2" width="98%" align="center"></div><div id="m_6372765608576283998divRplyFwdMsg"><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> on behalf of Jeannie O'Brien <<a href="mailto:jeannie@selanderobrien.com" target="_blank">jeannie@selanderobrien.com</a>><br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 30, 2026 3:25 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>>; <a href="mailto:brent@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">brent@williams-ruthlaw.com</a> <<a href="mailto:brent@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">brent@williams-ruthlaw.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Intestate Probates in King County</span> </p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p></div></div><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;text-indent:revert;line-height:revert;white-space:revert;text-transform:revert;background-color:revert;display:table;margin:revert;height:revert;color:revert"><tr style="background-color:revert"><td width="0" style="width:.3pt;background:#a6a6a6;padding:5.25pt 1.5pt 5.25pt 1.5pt;text-indent:revert;line-height:revert;white-space:revert;text-transform:revert;border-width:revert;border-style:revert;border-color:revert;word-break:revert;color:revert;height:revert"></td><td width="100%" style="width:100.0%;background:#eaeaea;padding:5.25pt 3.75pt 5.25pt 11.25pt;text-indent:revert;line-height:revert;white-space:revert;text-transform:revert;border-width:revert;border-style:revert;border-color:revert;word-break:revert;height:revert"><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121">You don't often get email from <a href="mailto:jeannie@selanderobrien.com" target="_blank">jeannie@selanderobrien.com</a>. <a href="https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification" target="_blank">Learn why this is important</a></span></p></td><td width="75" style="width:56.25pt;background:#eaeaea;padding:5.25pt 3.75pt 5.25pt 3.75pt;text-indent:revert;line-height:revert;white-space:revert;text-transform:revert;border-width:revert;border-style:revert;border-color:revert;word-break:revert;height:revert"></td></tr></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hello Brent and all,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I am very frustrated. And confused. I attended the elder law WSBA CLE last Friday, and learned from Commissioner Sarah Moen that since June 11, 2026, they have rejected 80% of the probates filed. It took 12 days for the court to deny my first intestate probate submitted. I haven’t heard anything yet from the second intestate probate I submitted early last week. Are the commissioners enjoying this? All of the extra work for us and for them?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Both of these decedents were not survived by a spouse, all of their children survived, and the children were of both parents. The siblings in each declined to serve, and provided consent to the nominee. Easy peasy in the old days.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">My question to Commissioner Moen was asked by the facilitator, and it was what do you need from a surviving child to prove that they know who all of their siblings are, and that they are the only children of the parents who were married to each other for 60 years? She said that they have to state how they know…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Are the other counties playing these reindeer games? Can we get a meeting with the commissioners? I’d like to ask them to specify why they are denying an order instead of the catchall “Petitioner’s motion is missing additional information required in cases of intestacy after RCW 11.28.110 was amended.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Brent, I agree 1000% with you that the updates to RCW 11.28.110 created a cannon to kill a mosquito. I used to tell my King County PRs that we will have an order back within a week, usually sooner. Now I don’t know what to say, other than “sorry, I don’t handle probates where there isn’t a valid Will.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Century",serif;color:#1f497d">Jeannie O'Brien, Attorney<br></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century",serif;color:blue"><a href="http://www.selanderobrien.com/" target="_blank">www.SelanderOBrien.com</a><u><br></u></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/3829C+South+Edmunds+Street+Seattle,+WA+98118?entry=gmail&source=g">3829C South Edmunds Street</a><br><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/3829C+South+Edmunds+Street+Seattle,+WA+98118?entry=gmail&source=g">Seattle, WA 98118</a><br><a href="tel:(206)%20723-8200" target="_blank">(206) 723-8200, x103</a><br><a href="tel:(206)%20723-3829" target="_blank">(206) 723-3829</a> fax<br></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><img border="0" width="189" height="27" style="width:1.9687in;height:.2812in" id="m_6372765608576283998Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01DD519E.01096B20" alt="Logo2a"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"><br></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1f497d">Covid restrictions taught us that we can do business just as well at home as at the office. Please know that a message left on voicemail gets returned just as quickly as one left with an in office receptionist, typically by the end of the next business day. An email will always get a more immediate response.<br>This message is private or privileged. If you are not the person for whom this message is intended, please delete it and notify me immediately, and do not copy or send this message to anyone else.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></p></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>